Horse-check.



J, J. DIXON.

HORSE CHECK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4. 1914.

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Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

J. J. DIXON.

HORSE CHI-30K.

APPLICATION FILED MAY4,1914. I 1, 1 Patented Mai. 9, 1915.

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OFFTQ JOHN J. DIXON, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN J. DIXON, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Horse-Checks, of which the following is a specification.

' The object ofthis invention is the production of a device for preventing horses from running away, which is simple and inexpensive in construction, and efiective in operation.

More particularly this improvement relates to a contrivance which is operated by a wheel of a vehicle and connected to the head gear such as the bit or halter of the horse, so that when set in motion by the revolution of the wheel it is adapted to tighten and draw against the horses head until the horse is unable to run.

To these ends my invention consists of a block element, which is releasably supported by the vehicle and adapted to move when released in the path of the spokes of the wheel and movable with the wheel, said block element being connected to the head gear of the horse by a flexible connection, which by the movement of the block element with the wheel is adapted to tighten said connection, and draw against the horses head.

' My invention further consists of features of construction and combinations ofparts, which will hereinafter be more particularly described and set forth in theclaim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a plan of a detail of a vehicle showing my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the construction illustrated in Fig; 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the construction illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a plan of a detail illustrating part of my invention,'and

Fig. 5 is a section of F1g. 4.

In the drawings, A indicates a detail of a taken on the line X -X vehicle, 2 representing a portion of the body,

3 a portion of the front axle, 4: the spring between the body and the front axle, 5 a detail of one of the front wheels, 6 a detail of the shafts, 7 a coupling by which one of the thills is connected to the front axle, all of said parts being of usual construction, with the exception of said thill coupling, which is provided with a longer bolt 8 than usual for.

the purpose of mounting the structure of Specification of Letters Patent.

wheel 5. The short arm 10 of said angle member extends outwardly toward the wheel 5 and said member has pivotally mounted at its angle so as to swing back away from the wheel 5 a block arm support 11 which is formed with a forwardly projecting loop 12 on its free end. The pivot connection between the block arm support 11 and the angle member 9 is formed by the bifurcated end 13 on the support 11 between the bifurcations of which the support 9 projects and a pin 14 passing through said parts, where by the support 11 is prevented from swingmg on the part 9, except toward and away from the wheel 5. Mounted upon the support 11 is the block arm 15, which is journaled thereon, so that it can swing up- I Patented Mar.9,1915.

App1icationfi1edMay4, 1914. Serial No. 836,048. r

wardly. This block arm is covered by a re silient jacket 16, and rests normally upon the outer end of the loop 12, where it is held down under tension by means of a spring 17, (see Fig. 5') fastened to the block arm and said loop. Another spring 18 secured to the side of the loop 12 and a hook 19 formed on the free end of the arm 10 of the angle member tends to swing the block arm support toward the wheel 5, so that the block arm 15 will engage between the spokes of the wheel. The forward extremity of the loop 12 is formed with a stop 20, which extends upwardly and is covered by a resilient jacket '21, said stop 20 being adapted to strike against the spokes of the wheel and limit the distance to which the block arm is adapted to project between the spokes.

tached to the block arm support 11 and to the thill '6 holds the contrivance in uppermost position as shown by full lines in Fig.

3, but when the block arm support has been released'and moved by the spring 18 into engaging position with one of the spokes of the wheel 5, the spring 22 permits the contrivan'ce swinging down with the movement of the wheel 5 into the broken line position illustrated in Fig. 3.

For the purpose of holding the block arm support out of wheel engaging position as illustrated in Fig. 1, a chain 23 is connected to the end of the block arm support 11, and to the outer end of a laterally extending swinging arm 24 which is formed integral with a vertical shaft 25. This shaft is mounted in the journal blocks 26 and 27 respectively secured to the fifth wheel block 28 and the body 2 of the vehicle, said shaft being slidablo vertically in the block 26, so as to compensate for the movement between the body and the axle. The block 27 is formed with a key slot 29, inwhich a pin 30 on the side of the shaft 25 is adapted to engage and hold the shaft with the arm 24 turned back as illustrated in Fig. 2, to hold the chain 23 taut, and the block arm support 11 in wheel disengaged position. The upper end of the shaft 25 is formed with a handle lever 31, by which the shaft may be set in locked position as illustrated in Fig. 2 or moved into position by disengaging the pin 30 from the slot 29 to release the block arm support 11 with its block arm 16 into engaging position with the wheel.

. The upper end of the stop 20 is adapted to be connected by a line 32 running freely through theeye piece 33 on the lower surface of the thill 6 to the head gear such as the bit or halter on the horses head not illustrated. This line is of suflicient length to hang loosely and permit the free movement of the horses head when the block arm 11 is out of operation,- but the instant the block arm is released by lifting upon the handle 31, and disengaging the shaft from looking engagement with the block 27, the spring 18 swings the block arm 11 .until the stop 20 impinges against one of the spokes of the wheel and the block arm 15 engages below said spoke, whereupon the revolution of the wheel when the vehicle is being drawn forwardly swings the entire cont'rivance downwardly into the broken line position illustrated in Fig. 3, during which movement the line 32 is tightened, thus drawing backwardly upon the horses head and stopping the animal from further progress. The tighter the line is drawn the greater the tendency to stop the wheel 5 revolving, but should the line be drawn back sufiiciently the supporting arm 9 will swing a full one half revolution about its axis formed by the bolt 8, said arm being formed with a yoke 34,wh1ch is adapted to admit the axle 3 and allow the device to swing as stated. The

movement of the contrivance as described is more than ample for tightening the line to stop a horse from running. Should for any reason the wheel 5 be revolved backwardly the block arm 15 is adapted to sweep over the spokes, but will reengage the wheel through the action of the spring 17 when the wheel 5 reverses and again revolving forwardly.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of operation of my invention,'together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carriedout by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the scope of the following claim.

Having described my invention, what claim as new and desire to protect by Let ters Patent is In combination, with a vehicle, a supporting arm hinged thereto to. turn in a plane substantially parallel with one of its wheels, a blocking member support hinged to said supporting arm and adapted. to swing laterally away from said wheel, a blocking member hinged to said blocking member support and adapted to engage one of the spokes of said wheel whereby the wheel and said blocking member support turn together when said wheel revolves in a forward direction, said blocking member support being formed with a stop adapted to impinge against the spoke engaged by said blocking member to limit the motion of said blocking member support in one direction, resilient means secured to said blocking member support and to said supporting arm tending to hold said member and arm in forward position and said blocking member in engagement with one of the spokes of said wheel, means for releasably holding said blocking member support with its blocking member out of engagement with said wheel, and a line secured to one of said parts andadapted to be secured to the head gear. on the horses head, said line being tightened by the movement of saidblocking member support with said wheel as said Wheel revolves forwardly.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN J. Dixon.

Witnesses:

STELLA L. WASCHENBERGER, F. G. BRADBURY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0! Patenta,

Washington, I). G. 

